Catering’s Best by InterContinental

Rent a Chef !

Peter Könemann, chef du cuisine at the InterContinental Hamburg, is on the road: He goes to visit his guests in their own homes, bringing along a barbecue, some charcoal, fresh fish, and other special ingredients.

He is one of the chefs, who guarantees his clients relaxed barbecue parties in the privacy of their own gardens – all thanks to a new service by Catering’s Best.

 

 

Fresh from the fish market

If you'd ask Peter Könemann what he'd recommend this summer, his answer would be simple and quite hanseatic: Fish, fresh from Hamburg's fish market.

Könemann knows this place with its 300-year long tradition of trading with all the good things just recently taken from the watery depths well, very well. He knows his way past the souvenir shops and the throngs of tourist. He knows his traders and they, in turn, are familiar with his keen gaze, his professional examination of their offerings.

The fresh catch he chooses today has a rather unique destination: Tonight, he will prepare his loot in the private garden of his clients – thanks to "Rent a Chef".

 

A spontaneous barbecue – absolutely stress-free

It is Sunday, 6PM, it's sunny and it's going to be a barbecue of six. There's going to be shrimp skewers, scallops, entrecôte of local prime beef, marinated poulet supreme "Label Rouge" (“Maishühnchen”, stemming from a chicken that has been raised on corn), organic pork filet with a pepper coating, "Nürnberger Bratwurstschnecke" (a speciality
somewhat similar to Cumberland sausages), vegetable skewers, potatoes en papillote, two different salads and home-made barbecue sauces.

The lady of the house is relaxed, enjoying a glass of Riesling while conversing with her guests. This sounds unlikely? Not really – once you are hip to the secret ingredient: The barbecue is manned by one of Catering’s Best chefs, who has brought along everything necessary to run his "Grillmobil".

 

Time to relax

"To be able to simply relax as a host, that is really wonderful – it's nice for the guests, but it's really great for the hosts. We strive to give everybody an opportunity to enjoy the party", says Jörg T. Böckeler, general manager of the InterContinental Düsseldorf, the institution offering this special service. The chef even brings his own barbecue and his own charcoal.

 

Talking shop

At the same time, but roughly 400 km to the north. Peter Könemann mans the barbecue at Hamburg's outer Alster. "Rent a Chef" is the title of this new service offered by Catering’s Best via InterContinental.

This summer, fish is a hot item – and dearly beloved by both the cooks and the clients. "This is a wonderfully light and very variable dish, ideal for hot days", says Könemann. With "Rent a Chef", one does not only get a great cook – for a good chef is also a zoologist, a biologist, an oenologist, an entertainer, a professional shopper always happy to pass on a few great shopping tips, etc. ...

 

Barbecuing... a male fascination?

The chef pulls out his knife. "So, how will you cut the fish?" asks one of the guests, confirming one of the socio-psychological observations Peter Könemann has made again and again during "Rent a Chef"-duty:
"Men are very curious about cooking techniques".

The reason? "Many women spend much of their time in a kitchen, so they enjoy having somebody else take on their duties for once. Men are often strangers to the practice of cooking, so it's fascinating to them."

A classical win-win-situation.

 

Of happy fishes

Catering's Best does not only supply tips on filleting, but also insights in the company's natural philosophy of cooking: "The oceans have been overfished, that's why we recommend fish reared in fish farms or only half wild", explains the man handling the barbecue. "We also insist on only using fishes that have been caught after their first year of sexual maturity. This helps conserving the species."

 

All-inclusive – including valuable hints

Knives, pots, pans, ingredients, spices, sauces – the logistics team of Könemann & Co. supplies everything necessary when they attend a party. The fish, packed in ice chunks, hails from the local market. "The gills have to be rosé, the skin smooth – this is what you want to look for, to be certain that the fish is truly fresh", says Könemann. And, pointing towards the sparkling eye of a gilt-head bream: "The eye has to be tight, bulking outwards. That's another sure indicator for fresh fish".

 

 

Peter Könemann's menu suggestion:

Fish from the grill

Starter
Tuna sashimi with watermelon, rasped ginger and wasabi

Main dish
Grilled red mullet fillet on a cherry/tomato/saffron-bed and with basil ravioli
(Recipe)

Dessert
Creme catalan made with coconut, accompanied by lemon grass ice cream
and raspberry sugo

 

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